Laurajonesart.consultancy

Creating reflective sketchbook pages have some huge benefits for learning and development in Art and are probably one of my favourite things to teach.
How do you make them?
Encourage students to take photos of the stages of their work .. problems they run into, parts that run smoothly and the overall development.
Great tool not only for students at school but anyone looking to develop their skill set as it enables true reflection of the process. You can look back and see areas that possibly you needn't of taken so long on, recognize where you may procrastinate or areas that you are really impressed by. Reflecting on a process allows so many amazing learning opportunities and a chance to allow students to recognize how to further refine next time they approach a similar task.
Not only that , being taught how to develop sketchbook pages to a high standard help further refine and develop presentational skills and compositional understanding.

Artist or teacher ... Next time you complete a painting or teach it... Try making a reflective page to go along side it!

Want to build confidence with colour ? Use primary colours to blend and burnish your way to colour matching success
I use pencils for bold colour blending .
This isn't sponsored etc I just found these pencils to be the best bang for their buck. Have a school aged child thinking about GCSE or love drawing yourself if recommend these....

I have been lucky enough to be an art teacher on another brilliant project run by these last few months and I can now share the photos!!
In a new exhibition , supported by has been launched called 'catching the chain' bringing together work from probation services, the mount prison and participants from Hacro, amongst others.
Along with and we worked with participants creating visual work representing the stories of the people tried in the town hall when it was a court house with cells. Incorporating their own stories into the art work as they went. I am sure I am not alone when I say what a privilege it has been to work on such a wonderful project.
A must visit for all.

Hey guys... I haven't been posting for some time as have been pursuing other loves of mine and busy with my little family..I hope everyone is well.

Ive been thinking recently about home schooling and access to art based activities...leading to formal qualifications and portfolios supporting university applications.

Many people don't realise that you can access higher education with a strong art portfolio...( as well as English and Maths) ...

Art can be a scary thing to teach for other educators and parents alike.. fear of mess.. scale.. where to start... thoughts of not being ' artistic' or ' creative' enough themselves.

It seems more families are opting to homeschool their children... due to lack of provision...mental health concerns or personal preference....
It is something I have considered myself for my son at times.

I have looked into the world of homeschooling very briefly and found it a fascinating world of support and opportunity. A world that sadly I cannot be a part of myself currently however a world I would very much like to contribute to.

I am going to start collating my resources from my teaching and offer accessible resources to purchase as well as begin leading this page more towards homeschooling support for GCSE and A Level qualification.

I'm excited to share this with you and look forward to sharing more information soon.

If you would like any more information please get in touch.

Paper ....
Many people when they are starting out drawing or painting don't even consider creating work on different coloured paper.

Black..kraft...tonal...are all really exciting options to draw on and create a new dynamic when applying tone.

Give it a go.

Ellipses .... tricky to teach but once mastered is a game changer!!

I always encourage students to create an ellipses ruler ... to cut out and use along side still life drawings when refining skill.

Coloured glass bottles make a great way to learn this skill too... colouring with the contour ( curvature) of the bottle also reinforces spatial and shape awareness..

I drew this using my favourite pencils and a polychromos white pencil by on tonal paper for an extra pop.

Polychromos pencils are a little more pricey but if nothing else worth investing in a white of this type.... and castle art pencils are AMAZING value for money with great results.

This is not endorsed it is my opinion and a recommendation I always give to my students.

How do you practise drawing ellipses?

life